"No, I have never been in your line of trade."

"Vell, how do you know so much?"

"I know very little, but I have always enjoyed such things."

"Vell, dot's more funny yet. You vould make a lot of money if you did.
Ven you get someting for nudding you know it--I don't. You see dem--vot
you call 'em--Spodes--and dot tureen, dot--"

"Lowestoft?" suggested the stranger, adjusting the mouthpiece of his
pipe.

"Yes, dot Lowestoft. If you come in yesterday and say, 'Have you any olt
cups and saucers and olt soup tureens?' I say: 'Yes--help yourselluf.
Take your pick for tventy-five cents each for de cups and saucers.' You
see, I pay nudding and I get nudding. Dot give me an idea! How vould you
like to go round de store vid me and pick out de good vuns? Dot von't
take you long--vait a minute--I give you dat money."

"I should not be of the slightest value, and if you are loaning me
the twenty-five dollars on any other basis than the worth of the
dressing-case, I would rather not take it."

"Oh, I have finished vid de loan. Vot I say I say." He thrust his hand
into a side pocket, from which he drew a flat wallet. "And dere is de
money. I give you a receipt for de case."

"No, I do not want any receipt. I am quite willing you should keep it
until I can either pay this back or you can loan me some more on it."

"Vell, den, I don't vant no receipt for de money. Here comes a customer.
Don't you go yet. I know her. She comes most every day. She only vants
to look around. Such a lot of peoples only vants to look around.
Dey don't know vat dey vant and you never have it. No, it ain't no
customer--it's Bobby."

The door was burst open, and a boy in a blue jumper, his cap thrust so
far back on his head that it was a wonder it didn't fall off, cried out:

"Say! One of the sideboards is stuck on the iron railing and we can't
get it furrards or back. Them two weiss-beers ye got down-stairs can't
lift nothin' but full mugs. Send somebody to help." And the door went to
with a bang.

Kling was about to call for assistance when Hans--one of the
maligned--shuffled in from the rear of the store, carrying a wooden
image very much in want of repair.

"Oh, dots awful good you brought dot! Set it here on dis chair--now you
go avay and help vid dem sideboards. See here vunce, mister. You see,
dey vas makin' de altar over new, and one of de mens come to me last
week and he says: 'Mister Kling, come vid me and buy vot ve don't vant.